Surveys of businesses and organizations differ in important ways from surveys of individual persons and households. In particular, they rely on one or more employees or representatives of the organization to report data about the entity on its behalf. As a result, a respondent's approach to the survey is influenced by organizational characteristics, which provide a context within which the response process occurs, affecting survey participation decisions, data quality, and response burden. Practical issues emerge that have implications for the effectiveness of data collection instruments, procedures and strategies in the organizational setting, such as who decides whether to participate in the survey, who is the "right" respondent, are the desired data in records, are the data accessible, and so on.

This course provides an overview of methodological issues associated with the use of surveys to collect data from organizations. We will identify key differences between household surveys and organizational surveys, emphasizing organizational behaviors and attributes that affect survey response. We will demonstrate an approach to survey design that utilizes understanding and consideration of this organizational context when developing, adapting, and implementing data collection instruments and procedures. This course will include topics related to survey planning, questionnaire design and pretesting, data collection modes, and communication and response improvement strategies.

This integrated approach to surveys of businesses and organizations is the subject of a 2013 textbook in the Wiley Series in Survey Methodology, entitled Designing and Conducting Business Surveys, written by Ger Snijkers, Gustav Haraldsen, Jacqui Jones, and Diane K. Willimack.

This course will count as 7.0 CPSM Short Course credit hours.

Registration Fees:

• CPSM Students - $40
• UNC Students - $65
• Other - $90